Running away
by Leta McGotor
Summary: Albus has finally managed to tell Minerva his feelings but her reaction is not the one he had hoped for. But does he interpret her it all right?


Running Away

Author: Leta McGotor

To make it short: I own nothing, n-o-t-h-i-n-g, right?

Albus Dumbledore was pacing. Up and down, back and forth, up and down. He had sworn himself that today was the day, he would tell her. He had needed years to come so far and he would do it today. He had planned all – had had many ideas, one of them crazier than the other. So he had decided not to make a big deal out of it. He had wanted to invite her for dinner and then, afterwards, simply tell her. But now this plan was ruined and only ten minutes left. Dobby had told him mere seconds ago that the kitchen was not able to do what he wished because some of the house elves were ill, others not in school and Winky was far too drunken. Dobby would have to do it all on his own and he would not be ready in time. So Albus had canceled the dinner.

But now his real problem began. What would he do now? Surely he could offer her a seat and then declare his love for her from one second to the other. He had tried to contact two restaurants but both of them had not a single free table. He had thought about other things but then his completely mad thoughts came again and he surrendered.

Albus looked at his clock – only three minutes left and he knew Minerva McGonagall far too well to know that she would not knock at the last second but now. He had barely ended this thought when there was a sharp knock on his door.

"Come in.", he called and it was indeed Minerva McGonagall, who opened the door.

"Good evening, Albus." She smiled at him and his heart pounded in his throat and his mouth went dry – it was every time the same, only today it was even more intensive. When he didn't say anything Minerva looked for her favourite chair next to the fire and sat down, waiting for him to recover. She assumed that something important had popped into his mind, something to do with the school, or the Ministry, or Voldemort, or the Order. Sometimes it depressed her to know how important all those things were to him, but she always nodded and smiled, never showing him, how much she wished to be his number one.

"G-good evening, Minerva." Albus answered a short time later, scolding himself mentally for not answering sooner. "I'm sorry. I promised you dinner tonight but Dobby told me it's impossible right at the moment. So… Well, what I wanted to say…" He wished he had the courage to simply look her in the eyes and tell her his feelings, but instead he stuttered and felt incedible stupid while doing so. Minerva sat there and waited, still smiling, although she was disappointed. She had hoped for an evening together with him and now he would surely tell her that the Ministry wanted him to do something - again.

"Yes? Albus, just tell me. Is it the Ministry or V-Voldemort?" Albus shook his head frantically.

"No, no it's… I wanted to tell you… that… that I… I love you, Minerva. I have always… since… I don't know since when, but for a long time now… and I… I only wanted… to tell…" But before he had even finished Minerva had left hurriedly his office. She didn't know where to go or why she had even left his office in a run. She had longed to hear those words from him for years now – how many she didn't know. She had hoped so long for it, had dreamed about it at night and sometimes even in her classes, and now her wishes became reality and she ran away. She couldn't explain it.

So Minerva ran. At the end of the corridor she stopped for a brief moment only to transfigure herself into a cat and to run again down the stairs and corridors and out of the castle. It seemed that she ran for hours not knowing her aim. Then, when the night had fallen completely, she stopped somewhere on the grounds. She was sure that she hadn't left them, although she didn't know where she was exactly.

Slowly she transfigured herself back and looked around, breathing heavily. She was not in the Forbidden Forest. She had avoided to go into this part of the grounds since she had been a student. Surely she could see the castle but it seemed far away. Slowly she made a few steps in the opposite direction to look over a nearby hill. There she could see the beginnings of Hogsmead not far away from the spot she stood. Sighing heavily she shrugged and made her way down into the village, although she didn't feel like to speak with anyone. She wanted to be left alone and so she avoided the houses, especially 'The Three Broomsticks'. Nearly at the end of the village she turned around a corner into another street.

"Minerva?… Minerva?" A voice called her from behind. Slowly she looked up and looked into those blue eyes of Albus Dumbledore. He wore a very worried expression and now it was Minerva's turn to get a dry mouth.

"What happened? I was worried when you ran away. I… I didn't want to shock or to hurt you, Minerva. I… I'm sorry. I only wanted to… to tell you, I couldn't bear it any longer…" Minerva looked up at him. She could tell from his voice that he was badly hurt. She wanted to say something and opened her mouth, but before she could utter one single word Albus had turned around.

"I'm sorry, Minerva. Please, forget it." Then he had vanished around the corner. Minerva felt like glued to the ground. She couldn't move back nor forth, while she stared at the spot where he had stood only mere seconds ago. Tears poured down her cheeks by now and she was shaken all over by silent sobs. Why, oh why had she run away? The man she had loved for so many years told her finally that he felt the same and she… Her knees became weak and Minerva sank to the ground. There she sobbed uncontrollably – in the middle of the street in Hogsmead, watched by some of the inhabitants but helped by nobody.

It was very late –or very early? – when Minerva made her way back to the castle. She had controll over her body once more and her tears had dried because of the warm night. She moved like in trance. Her heart didn't want to accept the situation now and it still fought against it. Her head had made a solution already. She knew she couldn't look him in the eye again and so she thought it best to leave him, the castle and all. She couldn't bear it.

When Minerva reached the entrance of the castle she looked up automatically. There was still light in Albus' office. A part of her wanted to go up and explain everything but the other was too frightened and forced her to go to her rooms and pack her things. She didn't need long for it. Her magic did the greatest part of the packing in a rather short time and she was ready to leave before dawn had come.

Minerva levitated her suitcases down the steps back to the entrance. There she looked up again and saw the light in Albus' office. She wondered why he still was awake. Again there was a battle in her. This time one part of her wanted to leave immediately while the other wanted to say good bye. Although she knew she would break while doing so, Minerva made her way up to his office. She loved him too dearly to simply go without a word.

When she stood directly in front of his office door she hesitated. What should she say? Would he listen to her? Had she hurt him that much that he would ignore her now? She closed her eyes and let her hand sink. It was probably better not to speak with him. So she turned around and wanted to go when the door behind her opened.

"Minerva?" It was Albus's voice but it sounded weak somehow and not like his at all. Slowly she turned around and faced him.

"Albus, I … I only wanted to say… good bye."

"Good bye?"

"Yes, I'm leaving." She couldn't look at him and stared at the wall behind him instead.

"Leaving? But Minerva, you can't… I mean… I…" He looked at her despairingly. He couldn't even stand the idea to be seperated from her, but her leaving now would kill him. "Minerva please, don't go. Simply forget what I told you a few hours ago. I… never…"

"How can I forget it, Albus? I have loved you too many years to even count them. You feeling the same is, as if all my prayers were heard. I don't know what made me run away, but I did and you'll hate me for it. To go is the only…" But she couldn't finish her sentence, because she was swept from her feet by Albus. He swirled her around and then he kissed her passionately.

"You mean it? You love me, too?" Albus asked breathlessly and with tears of joy in his eyes.

"Yes" Minerva smiled slightly before kissing him back. She had been so frightened that he would hate her after she had run away. Now she knew she simply should have talked to him.

"I love you, Minerva."

"I love you, too."

Even years later when Voldemort had been defeated and Minerva and Albus were happily married, she couldn't explain why she had run away. Sometimes she spent her whole evenings thinking about it and coming to no conclusion. Then Albus' eyes often twinkled and he said to her, that without her running away, that night would hardly have been so exciting and they both laughed about it.

Fin


End file.
